


Fear of Letting Go

by RonRos47



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 06:20:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20792039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RonRos47/pseuds/RonRos47
Summary: Mia's dreams become more than just dreams





	Fear of Letting Go

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Arrow fic as well as my first Mia & Oliver fic. 
> 
> The second Mia came onto our screens I fell in love with the character. She is such a badass and the fact that she's Olicity's daughter makes me love her more.
> 
> So I hope you all are gentle with it.
> 
> And as always, comments are always welcome.
> 
> So now just sit back and enjoy.

They were always the same dreams for Mia. She had seen so many banned Oliver Queen documentaries, she had heard the stories her mother had told her growing up but both contradicted each other so she wasn’t sure what to believe. For so long her mom had told her that her father had died and for a while she went along with it. For a while she believed it but the night their mom left her and her brother she wasn’t sure if she believed it anymore.

In her dreams she often saw herself as an infant in her crib with Oliver looking after her and saying goodbye. It hurt her every time and it hurt her every time to see him walk away not knowing what happened to him after, not knowing how he died. That was one thing her mother never disclosed. When she would ask how he died her mom would just always say it was a long time ago but never went into specifics. 

The dreams always shifted, however. Rather than watching herself as an infant with her father standing over her he would suddenly be right in front of her, the grown woman of who she was now. Her father never said anything. Instead he would just smile and Mia would smile back with tears in her eyes. Then as quickly as the dream would come it would go away much too soon.

Mia sat up with a jolt like she often did only this time she wasn’t alone.

“Mia,” said William, “Mia!”

William. Her half-brother that she had only recently found out about. Her half-brother on her father’s side but her brother nonetheless. He had come in search of Felicity and of all places, of all people his search had led him to her in the slum of Star City when clearly he didn’t belong. He had now taken up a permanent residence with her at her place above what used to be an old club. 

“Back off,” Mia said to him as she stood up and walked over to pour herself a drink despite it being early.

“Sorry, it just seemed like you were having a bad dream or something.”

“Yeah something like that, why do you care?”

“I used to get them too, after my mom died.”

“Oh.”

“Guess we have more in common than we think. So what was your about?”

The same thing it was always about.

“Nothing,” said Mia. “It’s over already alright?”

“Fine, don’t tell me.”

“Then don’t ask.”

She poured herself a quick drink and then after she put her down her glass Mia began to make her way down the stairs.

“Wait, where are you going,” William asked.

“To earn some easy money.”

“Fight club, seriously?”

“Got nothing better to do and I’m not going to just stand around waiting to get some kind of vigilante justice or whatever.”

“Great, that’s just great. So it’s not bad enough that you can beat up people as a vigilante now you’re just going to do it for fun again.”

“That’s the idea. And hey, I don’t need a lecture from you about my hobbies.”

“Just looking out for you, sis.”

“Yeah well I haven’t needed looking after for the past four years,” Mia said given that she was twenty years old, having left home when she was just sixteen. “And not that it’s any of your business but I’ll be fine, bro.”

“Fine.”

Mia began walking away. She made her way down to the club.

*****

“Well look who decided to show up,” said a beefy butt head named Ronan. “Where you been, Blackstar?”

Mia turned to face him, “None of your business. Now you got a fight for me or not?”

“Always.”

“How much does it pay?”

“For you, five grand.”

“Then set it up.”

Ronan laughed and walked away.

About half an hour later Ronan found Mia at the bar. 

“Blackstar, you’re up.”

“About damn time,” said Mia. 

Mia had been ready for this fight. Like she’d told William and the others once before, her fights were a way of stress release and this time was no different. She’d had so many of her dreams the past couple of nights that she needed the fights, she needed to forget. Fighting was always the way she cleared her head. When she was in a fight, or these days in a battle, she lost all sense of time or all sense of thought. All that mattered were her moves and counter moves which she’d perfected from the time she was two years old. Her mother and her mentor, Nyssa, had trained her well. She never lost and she always stayed focused. 

Mia made her way into the cage where a guy the size of a pro wrestler was waiting for her. 

“I’m fighting her, this is a joke. You’re going down girlie.”

Mia smiled, “Oh bring it on.”

The guy known as Jigsaw began his attack move. Mia countered, slid between his legs kicking him hard in the back with enough force that he went face first into the bars. This only pissed Jigsaw off so when he turned he went at her hard. Mia backed out of the way and jumped high reaching the bars. With a few swings she kicked Jigsaw like she was running on water. He grabbed her by the legs and was on the verge of taking her down when she countered with her move of twisting him with her legs, tightening around his neck. She let go of the bars and flipped the guy hard on his back. 

She knew he was starting to get weak but he was a fighter. He landed in several punches, landing one to her mouth making her bleed. This made Mia smile. She got some thrill of getting hurt because it made her fight that much harder. She began punching him in the gut, their arms crossing each other, Mia landing a hook to his nose, breaking it. Jigsaw was starting to get even angrier but Mia wasn’t having it. She got him in a choke hold and brought him down. With her elbow she kept pounding on his face till his blood dripped and his eyes got swollen. Knowing he was pretty much out, Mia gave him one final blow to his side breaking a couple of ribs.  
The crowd cheered her name. She hadn’t had a descent cage match in a while but none of it mattered. No matter how long she was out of the cage she was still undefeated and one of the best fighters the club had ever seen.

When Mia stood up she saw a face in the crowd and then had to do a double take.

“Dad,” she whispered.

She saw the man smile and again Mia said, “Dad?”

She had to be hallucinating. Trying to ignore what she’d just seen, knowing it was impossible, Mia sat at the bar with a scotch in hand. A roll of hundreds was placed in front of her.

“Five grand as promised,” said Ronan. “Nice fight.”

“Yeah.”

“Tell me something, do you ever lose?”

“Not a fight.”

“Tell you what, you take me on, I’ll triple it, fifteen.”

“You’re serious?”

“I’m always serious when it comes to my fights and when it comes to money. Unless you don’t have the guts.”

“For fifteen, you’re on.”

Ronan smiled, “Then I’ll see you in the cage in an hour. You need your beauty rest.”

“I’ll take you on right here and now,” Mia said getting up and tossing her drink.

“Oh, feisty. I like that. One hour.”

Mia took her cash and walked back up to her hold out. No one ever went up, no one dared to. She tossed the roll to William.

“Damn, just how much did you win here?”

“Enough,” said Mia.

“So I take it your done for the night?”

“Not a chance. I’ve got my next fight in an hour.”

“Just how many of these fights do you do a day if you don’t mind me asking?”

“As much as I need to.”

“Well that’s vague.”

“Don’t you have something to do with Connor or Zoe or something?”

“Yeah you’re right, I mean it’s a lot better than watching my little sister get beat up for fun, right? Although if you ever need anyone in your corner, I could always be your coach or something.”

Mia laughed, “You? This isn’t boxing bro, I’ve got this.”

“Alright fine. I’ll leave you to it then. Just try not to kill anyone in there.”

“Now where’s the fun in that?”

*****

Fighting Ronan had been an easy match. He’d put up more of a fight than Jigsaw, even landing in a few blows. Mia knew she would have a few bruised ribs and some cuts to the eye but nothing she couldn’t take. She’d had worse injuries and always bounced back quickly.

Again Mia saw him in the crowd. “Dad,” she said again. It was too loud for anyone to hear.

Ronan found her and walked over shaking his head. “Who the hell are you,” he asked as he handed her the fifteen thousand as promised.

“No one,” Mia replied.

That was all she was giving him. She wanted to go back to the loft but there was something she wanted more. It was so crowded but Mia continued moving forward. She’d seen Oliver in old pictures her mom kept, had seen him in old documentaries and aged papers but now she was seeing him in person which seemed absolutely impossible. She tried to shake it off like something her mind was making up from all the dreams she’d had over the years.

She wasn’t sure where she was going but she didn’t care. Even though she no longer saw him she felt the pull across the city that led to an old apartment complex. It was run down like all the others but the pull was the strongest here. She could feel it’s significance somehow, something connected to her past even though she’d never been here. 

*****

“What the hell,” she said to herself. “What am I doing here?”

“Searching for answers I would think,” said Barry Allen.

“What the frack,” said Mia, “You’re, you’re Barry Allen, you’re the Flash. You’re supposed to be dead.”

He shrugged, “or so the story goes.”

“So you’re not dead?”

“In this reality I am.”

“Wait, I’ve heard about this. There’s this multiverse thing right? Various Earth’s and timelines occupying the same space but at different frequencies.”

Barry smiled, “She was right, you are a quick learner.”

“She?” Mia’s eyes widened, “You knew my mom.”

He nodded, “And you’re dad. I can take you to him.”

“What do you mean, take me to him? My dad is dead.”

“It’s a little more complicated than that, Mia.”

“Wait so you’re telling me he’s not dead, that my mom lied to me about that too?”

“She had to keep you safe.”

“Right because that’s all she’s ever done. Can you tell me what happened to him?”

“You always believed Oliver was the reason Star City is in the shape it is now because of him. It wasn’t just him it was because of all of us. There was a crisis back in 2019.”

Mia nodded, “I remember. I just thought it was a myth just like the rest of you.”

“It was no myth. Mia, your dad sacrificed himself for the grater good. He really was a hero no matter what you might have heard. I can take you back, back to before he left.”

“Just like that, won’t it be messing with the timeline or something?”

“No. Over the years I’ve found a way around that. It will only change his timeline but not yours. I’ve done it once before back when the team and I fought an enemy named Vandal Savage.”

“I have no idea who that is.”

“That’s not important. What is important is that when we fought him we all died but I found a way to reverse it. I was able to go back and warn Oliver and we were able to fight Savage while beating him in the process. The world I created was the timeline we were on.”

“Just how many timelines have you messed with?”

“Too many to count.”

“And you’d be willing to do this for me?”

“I know what it’s like not to have a father in your life. Mine went to prison for something he didn’t do and I was raised by my father-in-law but it wasn’t the same. I was still just a kid when it happened. Not having your dad, it sucks and I can’t imagine what it must have been like for you so yeah I’m willing to break the rules.”

“Why me, I mean you don’t even know me.”

“You’re right I don’t but Oliver was one of my best friends and one of the best people I ever knew even if he was a hard ass sometimes. I never knew about you until I accidentally messed with the timeline before.”

“You seem to have a habit of doing that.”

“One of the curses to being a speedster. I can take you to him but the choice has to be yours.”

“Well what about William, I mean I can’t just leave him.”

“You won’t be, not really. It’s different for your brother. William has memories of your dad, you don’t. You have that chance now, Mia.”

Mia looked at Barry. Like her father and other vigilantes she had heard of other meta’s and people from far off worlds. They always seemed like fairytales to her. Heroes that were only told about to give people some kind of hope even though hope was no longer real. Now here was one of them. The Flash was real and he was giving her a real opportunity, something she’d only dreamed about for years. 

“What do I have to do?” she asked him.

Barry smiled, “Take my hand. Hang on this is going to be one hell of a ride.”

*****

Barry wasn’t kidding when he said that. The two seemed to run what felt like felt for miles but they were no longer a flash zooming through the city. They were in a tunnel of blue light. All around them were various scenes. One flash showed Barry and Oliver meeting for the first time. Another showed a team of superheroes, names who had been forgotten to history. And another showed one of Supergirl who was thought to be a legend. She saw images of him and her mom. She saw an image of her dad shooting Barry with arrows and then vice versa. She saw an image of a girl running in a purple suit. And lastly se saw her father’s wedding along with Barry’s both clearly having the same anniversary date.

The speed suddenly came to a stop which Mia didn’t want. She wanted more of those memories so that she could take with her. She suddenly realized where they were.

“How’d you know where I live?” she asked.

“It’s a long story.”

“Let me guess one of your multiverse ones?”

“Something like that.” He reached into his pocket and gave a device to her.

“What’s this?”

“It’s an extrapolator. Just push this button here and it will take you back home when you’re ready.”

“And if I’m not.”

“Well then that’s up to you.”

She looked at the house and then back at him, “Is it weird that I’m a little nervous?”

“No, not weird at all. I was too the first time. You’ll be okay, Mia.” Barry went in and hugged her. She wasn’t much of a hugging person but he clearly was so she accepted it. “Good luck,” he said when he pulled back.

Once Barry was gone Mia took a deep breath and went inside through the back. She made her way towards her room where she saw her father standing over the crib much like her dream only this time it wasn’t a dream it was real.

“Dad,” Mia whispered.

Though she couldn’t see it, Oliver was smiling. He turned and continued to smile. “You look so much like your mom.”

Mia smiled and couldn’t contain herself. She semi-ran towards him and hugged him tightly, Oliver reciprocating the strength. Mia was at a loss of words. She had dreamed of this moment her whole life, had always imagined what it would be like to meet him. All she’d ever wanted in her life was her dad. Just by looking at him now he wasn’t the man in the propaganda she’d heard and read about.

“Oliver,” Felicity said. 

Mia and Oliver let go of their embrace and she turned to face her.

“Mom.”

Tears were already streaming down her face. “Mia,” she said as she hugged her tightly. She then pulled back. “Barry did this didn’t he?”

Mia laughed, “Yeah he did.”

“I should want to kill him but I can’t. You look so much like your father.”

“People say I look like you.”

Felicity moved Mia’s face around, “Not with that eye and those cuts you don’t.”

Mia suddenly felt self-conscious. She realized what she must look like. Dark pants, a ragged white tank top and a leather jacket, completely unpresentable.

“I hope you at least got a few good licks into whoever did this to you,” Oliver.

“Oliver,” said Felicity.

“What?”

“Well it’s clear you got your father’s skills.”

Mia smiled proudly. “Trust me, dad,” she said, “The guy went down long before he had a chance.”

“That’s my girl. My girl,” he repeated.

Baby Mia stirred in her crib. 

Felicity whispered, “Maybe we should take this little reunion in the living room.”

*****

In the living room Felicity placed an ice pack on Mia’s eye and went about getting a few bandages.

“Mom, mom,” when Felicity didn’t stop Mia got more forceful, “Mom, I’m fine really. I’ve had worse than this it’s fine.”

Mia still couldn’t believe any of this was happening. She knew the timeline, and Barry had slightly warned her, that it was getting screwed up but in this very moment she didn’t care. 

“What is it,” asked Oliver.

Mia shook her head, “It’s nothing,” she shook her head again, “It’s just, it’s different seeing you two together that’s all.”

She walked over to the picture on the mantle, the one of her and her parents, the one she had shot with an arrow back in her timeline.

“I always imagined this. I always imagined what it would be to grow up with the two of you, how different my life would have been.”

“I’ve dreamed of this moment too,” said Oliver.

Mia turned to him, “You have?”

“Yeah,” Oliver said with a smile, “I always imagined who you would turn out to be now I kind of see my answer.”

Mia shook her head, “You would be so disappointed.”

“No, I don’t believe that for a second.”

“Neither do I,” said Felicity. “From what we can tell, you’re a total badass. You get that from your father.”

“There’s so much I want to tell you,” said Mia, “but I guess I’d just be screwing things up for you here and for me back home.”

Oliver let out a small laugh. “Since when has that ever been a problem? Barry’s the one who started this whole thing in the first place.”

Felicity agreed, “Yeah he has a habit of messing with time.”

Mia nodded, “so I’ve noticed.”

“But he brought you to us,” said Oliver, “that has to count for something.” Oliver noticed the way Mia was looking at him. She was on the verge of wanting to break so he went over to her and took her in his arms.

Mia hated feeling vulnerable. She hated the sense of feeling weak but now with her father she couldn’t help but let down all her walls.

“Hey, it’s okay, you’re okay.”

“No it’s not,” Mia said in his arms. “I have missed you, dad, so much and I didn’t even get the chance to know you.” The two pulled apart and Mia wiped her eyes, “I know what you did, about the deal you made. You sacrificed everything. You sacrificed your family for all of it. For a long time I never understood why you and mom did what you did. I know you both wanted to protect me, protect our family but it didn’t make it hurt any less.”

“We don’t have to know anymore, Mia,” said Felicity, “but whatever happened we’re sorry. Being a hero means-,”

Mia nodded, “Putting other people’s safety above your own, including your family, I know. William and I, we get it.”

“William,” Oliver said with surprise.

Mia shook her head, “Frack, I’m sorry I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Oliver said with a smile.

“We’re just glad you found each other,” said Felicity, “you need your big brother looking out for you. Does he turn out okay though?”

“Felicity,” said Oliver.

“I’m sorry but I have to know. After we… please, Mia, I have to know.”

“Well parents aren’t perfect, we get that but yeah for the most part he turns out pretty good. Growing up without him I’ve actually come to find I kind of like having him around. You’d be proud of him.”

“I just hate that we sent him away.”

“You did it to protect him, he knows that but maybe you can do it differently this time,” Mia said with some sense of hope which was a hard thing for her to believe in. “I know you kept him away to keep him safe but William is a lot stronger than you give him credit for.”

“I’m sure you’re right.”

“Trust me, I am.” Mia took a deep breath. “I can’t stay here can I?”

She said the very words that Oliver and Felicity had been thinking. 

“No, honey,” said Oliver, “Two of you can’t exist in the same timeline. Barry’s tried and every time it’s failed him. We don’t want that happening with you.”

Mia took a deep breath and nodded.

“I’m not ready to go back.”

“We know,” said Oliver.

“We don’t want you going back either,” said Felicity, “but you have to, Mia.”

“I know.”

Mia walked back into her room and her parents followed. Baby Mia was asleep and older Mia smiled. “I was a beautiful baby wasn’t I or am or whatever.”

“Most definitely,” said Oliver.

Mia stroked her younger self. “We’re going to be okay,” she said to her younger self. “Mom and dad might screw up, you might get angry and you might even hate them but they still love you, they still love us. You’re going to be okay and you are gonna be one hell of a badass,” she said with a smile.

Mia turned to her parents, “Guess being an archer will run in the family. I’m one hell of a shot, you’d be proud.”

“I’m sure I would be,” said Oliver.

“And you have mom to thank for that.”

“Me?”

“You made sure I followed in dad’s footsteps.”

“I guess one archer really wasn’t enough in this family,” Felicity said with a smile.

“I don’t want to go.”

Oliver walked up to his daughter. “We know, but it’ll all be okay, Mia.”

“Will it? If I go back you won’t be around. I need my dad.”

“Hey, you’ll always have me. I’m sorry for not being there for you but I love you no matter what.”

“I love you too, dad,” Mia said hugging him tightly.

Felicity was wanting to cry. She wasn’t ready to say goodbye to her grown daughter either. She walked up to the two of them and hugged them both.

“I love you, Mia, and I am so proud of the woman you’ve become.”

“Love you too, mom.”

Taking a deep breath Mia pulled the extrapolator from her pocket and opened the portal. She looked at them one final time before making her way through.

*****

“Holy shit!” William said when he, Zoe, and Connor saw the portal open in the old apartment where Mia had met Barry.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Mia asked when she walked through.

“Looking for you,” said Connor.

“After your last fight,” said William, “you disappeared. We tried to find you and then I got a surge,” William explained his device, “It led us here. Mom and dad used to live here long before I came around.”

“Seriously?” 

“Yeah.”

“That must have been why Barry brought me here. It was some place familiar and it’s not like he could go to the club or the bunker.”

“Wait, who’s Barry,” asked Zoe.

William went over to his sister and took hold of the device. “Hey is that an extrapolator? I thought these things were destroyed. Where did you get it?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Mia said as she took it and tossed it to the ground, smashing it to bits.

“What the hell!”

“What, we don’t need this tech getting out there. If anyone got their hands on it, it wouldn’t be good for anyone. Trust me.”

“Where were you,” Connor asked.

“Nowhere,” Mia replied.

Connor found that hard to believe, “Nowhere or you’re just not going to tell us?”

“The latter.”

“Okay then,” he said simply.

Zoe looked at Mia and smiled, “We’re just glad you’re back.”

*****

An hour later Mia stood on the terrace looking out at the broken and trashed Star City.

“I’m not going to apologize for destroying that thing,” Mia said knowing her brother was behind her without looking behind her.

“No it’s not about that,” William said coming to stand beside her. “What happened to you, Mia, really?”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

She turned to face him, “I saw them. Mom and dad. I was there, William, back to the night dad left me and mom. That’s where Barry Allen took me.”

“Barry Allen, as in the Flash Barry Allen? I thought he was a myth.”

“So did I.”

“Wait so you got to talk to them?”

“Yeah.”

“How did that go?”

“Harder than I imagined.” She went back looking at the city. “For years I thought about dad, what I would do, what I would say if I ever saw him. I mean I know he technically died but there’s still that part of me, that little girl no matter how hard I try to push her down that can’t help but want her dad and then I did. Barry gave me that chance. I don’t care how it screws up our timeline or theirs I got to talk to him.”

“How was he?”

“He was a better dad than I ever gave him credit for and more than I imagined.”

“Enough to tell you all of those things were lies about him?”

“Yeah. I mean I didn’t get to see him in action or anything but I could see how much he loved me, how much he loved mom, and how much he loved you. You were right you know, family was the most important thing to our parents. I just never understood it until now.”

William smiled, “Well I’m glad you got to know them even if it was for a little while. I’m glad you have memories and not just dreams.”

Mia smiled as well, “Yeah me too.”

William placed his arm around Mia’s shoulder and she didn’t resist.

“So, just how screwed up do you think the timeline is now?”

“Does it matter?”

William brought his sister in closer and placed a kiss on top of her head as the two stood in silence looking out across the city.

**Author's Note:**

> Hoping to write more Oliver and Mia fics in the future if this one goes well.
> 
> In the mean time I hope you guys enjoyed it. Thanks.


End file.
